Harold Baines
|debutdate=April 10 |debutyear=1980 |debutteam=Chicago White Sox |finaldate=September 27 |finalyear=2001 |finalteam=Chicago White Sox |stat1label=Batting average |stat1value=.289 |stat2label=Home runs |stat2value=384 |stat3label=RBI |stat3value=1628 |teams= *Chicago White Sox (1980–1989) (1996-1997) (2000-2001) *Texas Rangers (1989-1990) *Oakland Athletics (1990–1992) *Baltimore Orioles (1993–1995) (1997-1999) (2000) *Cleveland Indians (1999) |highlights= *First overall pick in the Major League Baseball Draft: 1977 *All-Star (AL): 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1999 *Second highest career home run total for a player who has never had a 30+ home run season. }} Harold "Sweet Swinging" Douglas Baines (born March 15 1959 in Easton, Maryland) is a former right fielder and designated hitter in Major League Baseball. He played in the American League from 1980 to 2001, and he is best known for his three stints with the Chicago White Sox. His 1,628 runs batted in rank 11th in AL history. He is currently a coach for the White Sox. In 1977, the White Sox picked Baines number-one in the amateur draft. The owner of the White Sox at the time, Bill Veeck, had spotted Baines playing Little League ball many years before, at the age of 12. In 1980, the smooth-swinging 20-year-old became a regular outfielder on the White Sox and he began to produce in 1982 when he had 165 hits, 25 home runs and 105 Runs batted in. He ended the longest game in major league history (eight hours and six minutes over 25 innings on successive evenings) with his home run against the Milwaukee Brewers' Chuck Porter on May 9, 1984; the bat he used is currently kept at the Baseball Hall of Fame. The home run provided the only relief win for Tom Seaver in his illustrious career (Seaver also started and won the regular game that day). He also led the AL in slugging average in 1984. In 1986, a succession of knee problems began which would gradually end his fielding career, forcing him to become a regular designated hitter. Despite the knee ailments and the resulting lack of speed, however, he remained a powerful hitter, picking up 166 hits in 1988. Midway through the 1989 season, the Texas Rangers acquired Baines, along with Fred Manrique, from the White Sox in a much-derided trade which sent Wilson Alvarez, Scott Fletcher, and Sammy Sosa to Chicago. In 1990 Baines was traded to the Oakland Athletics for minor league pitchers Scott Chiamparino and Joe Bitker, where he helped them reach the post-season only to be swept by the Cincinnati Reds in the World Series. In 1992 the Athletics returned to the playoffs, only to lose to the Toronto Blue Jays in the ALCS.Harold Baines, baseballlibrary.com Prior to the 1993 season, Baines was traded by the A's to the Baltimore Orioles for minor league pitchers Bobby Chouinard and Allen Plaster. At the age of 34, Baines was still productive, batting .313, .294 and .299 over his three seasons with the O's. Baines returned to the White Sox as a free agent in 1996 but was traded back to Baltimore midway through the 1997 season; he helped the Orioles to reach the playoffs, although they lost to the Cleveland Indians in the League Championship Series. A six-time All-Star, Baines batted .324 in 31 career postseason games. His final contract with the White Sox was not renewed following the 2001 season, after his third stint with the team. His uniform number (#3) was retired by the White Sox following his initial departure from the city to Texas, but was "un-retired" three times following his two returns as a player and one as a coach. He finished his career with 2,866 hits, 384 home runs and 1,628 RBIs. His 1,652 games as a designated hitter are a major league record, and he holds several hitting records among DHs. His career RBI total is 23rd all-time; his hit total ranks 37th all-time. True to form, Baines' fourth stint with the Chicago White Sox began when he was named bench coach in March 2004. Baines has become such a big, yet soft-spoken, hero that people in Chicago and the nearby suburbs have even named their pets after him, according to The Commish Online, a baseball website. In 2005, as a coach for the White Sox, he finally earned a World Series ring. He became eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame for the first time in 2007, and received 29 votes or 5.3%. This was enough to ensure he will remain on the ballot in 2008. Baines has both the most career hits and most career RBI of any eligible player not in the Hall of Fame. MLB Career rankings *Games - 2,830 (17th) *At Bats - 9,908 (27th) *Plate Appearances - 11,092 (31st) *Hits - 2,866 (39th) *Total Bases - 4,604 (30th) *Doubles - 488 (T-52nd) *Home Runs - 384 (50th) *RBI - 1,628 (23rd) *Walks - 1,062 (82nd) *Singles - 1,945 (53rd) *Runs Created - 1,657 (44th) *Extra-Base Hits - 921 (T-45th) *Times on Base - 3,942 (41st) *Sacrifice Flies - 99 (T-27th) *Intentional Walks - 187 (18th) See also * Top 500 home run hitters of all time * List of major league players with 2,000 hits * List of Major League Baseball players with 400 doubles * List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 runs * List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 RBI * Major League Baseball hitters with three home runs in one game * Chicago White Sox all-time roster References External links * *BR Bullpen *WhiteSox.com Bio Category:Major league right fielders Category:Major league designated hitters Category:Chicago White Sox players Category:Baltimore Orioles players Category:Cleveland Indians players Category:Oakland Athletics players Category:Texas Rangers players Category:American League All-Stars Category:Major league players from Maryland Category:American baseball players Category:Maryland Eastern Shore natives Category:1959 births Category:Living people Category:People from Easton, Maryland Category:People from Baltimore, Maryland Category:African American sportspeople